While not every character is getting the time they deserve this season, The Wheel of Time is doing an excellent job of combining plots from several of Robert Jordan’s books to keep the action moving while further weaving together the heroes as they grow as people together. Case in point: “The Shadow in the Night,” in which an old friend returns to lead a raunchy musical number while the Forsaken fight amongst themselves. It’s an episode that uses major tone shifts to great dramatic effect.
I’ve been critical of how much attention has been paid to Liandrin thus far, but I did enjoy the opening of “The Shadow in the Night,” which shows how the Aes Sedai pledged herself to Ishamael out of sheer desperation. Combined with Lanfear’s supposed interest in breaking her oaths, the examination of choice and redemption makes the villains a bit more sympathetic. It also demonstrates the strength of one of the season’s new characters, Faile, who showed her strength by fleeing when her parents tried to recruit her to join the Dark. (The other Liandrin-related piece of “The Shadow of the Night” I enjoyed is how little her costume changes in her dream of being Amyrlin – she’s Red Ajah to her core.)
The Wheel of Time has some very powerful villains, but they all have their own agendas. That’s giving the heroes a bit of an edge as two of the five Black Ajah in Tanchico die due to infighting this week. Moghedien is pulling the exact same trick that Siuan Sanche did with Min, disguising herself as a servant to go ignored among Aes Sedai since they’re just as arrogant in Tanchico as they were in Tar Valon. Her performance is too over the top, but I appreciate the symmetry in the plots.
Perrin’s storyline is the weakest part of this season, but that’s only partially the show’s fault: The character often feels like he’s too far from the real action in the books, too. But it’s not all bad: Hopefully Perrin hooking up with Faile will stop him from brooding about his wife’s death, putting an end to the worst plot invented for the show. Perrin revealing that the Horn of Valere has already been found by unveiling a goofy drawing of Mat is a great callback to the season 3 premiere, and much better than the way that information is shared in the books, where he actively hides the fact that Faile’s quest has already been completed. This section of the story also promises to pick up some steam soon with the return of Padan Fain, who has been one of the show’s best villains thanks to Johann Myers’ deeply off-putting performance.
Also making an exciting reappearance this episode is gleeman Thom Merrilin, one of the standout characters of season 1. Thom is hilariously desperate to avoid being swept up in the antics of a ta’veren but forced to intervene when he sees the daughter-heir of Andor is in trouble. It’s not surprising that Elayne would know how to sing; it’s more shocking that she proves her skill by performing the local equivalent of “Baby Got Back”: “The Hills of Tanchico,” a raunchy tune that gets all the ladies in the bar jiggling their breasts. The Wheel of Time has done well by taking a page from The Witcher and breaking up its epic fantasy with a rousing, catchy musical number.
The whimsy of that scene provides a brutal contrast to what happens to Elayne and Nynaeve next, as Moghedien traps them in her web with compulsion. Zoë Robins and Ceara Coveney do a great job selling the spell’s power by dissolving into giddy giggles as they divulge all their deepest secrets to the Forsaken. It’s especially tragic for Nynaeve, who voices a revelation about hating her power that would be really important for her character growth if she could remember it.
Rand might be an outsider among the Aiel, but his interest in farming is genuine and his continued bonding with Alsera over her squashes helps charm Avienda. Rand’s guide may have been showing her contempt for her job by letting him break etiquette by grabbing Alsera’s tiny spear, but Rand comes out looking good, showing he’s learned the way to properly make amends. It’s an incredibly sweet scene that makes the tragedy at the end of the episode even more agonizing.
Egwene and Rand finally find a time to chat about their doomed relationship and Lanfear in a phenomenal demonstration of contrast between the two characters. Egwene shines throughout “The Shadow in the Night” as she demonstrates her relentless determination: She lies to the Aiel Wise Ones about being an Aes Sedai, and responds to almost being killed by Lanfear by immediately restarting her dream-control exercises. But she really unleashes on Rand, who stoically accepts her fury and explains his realization that even though he might be the most powerful and important man in the world, he’ll still never be enough for Egwene.
The touching moment and the building fury Rand feels when he learns what Lanfear’s been doing to Egwene is interrupted by an attack led by Samael, presumably the surprise Lanfear told Moiraine about earlier in the episode. When the Forsaken were all set free at the end of season 2, I was worried that some of them wouldn’t be given the attention they deserve, and that’s the case here. Samael is easily dealt with once Rand finally gets to unleash some of his power.
While the Aiel don’t blame Rand for Alsera’s accidental death, the child was a rare source of joy for Rand. He’s desperate to believe the Dragon Reborn should be able to fix anything, and seeing him acknowledge his limits is heartbreaking. It’s a testament to Josha Stradowski’s acting abilities how well he alternates between the brink of mania and cold acceptance. When Rand asked about Moiraine’s vision of Rhuidiean, all he really wanted to know about was who he might kill. This death will likely just further his belief that he’s too dangerous to be around.
